Art of and device for picking cotton



F. W. STUKENBORG. ART oF AND nEvlcE Foa PICKING coroN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.27. 1920.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.. 3 SHEETS-SHEET I iff/1114 5MM/ Il.

F. W. STUKENBORG. ART 0F AND DEVICE FOR PICKING COTTON. l 4APPLICATION msn 051:.21. |920. 1,402,724.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC.2. |920- IIQ@ Patented Jan, 39 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK "W. STUKENBORG, 0F HICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.ABT OF AND DEVICE FOB, IPICKING COTTON.

specincation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.'

Application led December 27, 1920. Serial No. 433,439.V

To aZZwzo/m, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. STUKEN- nono, a citizen of the United States, and 'a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinios, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in the Art of and Devices for icking Cotton; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of picking cotton, and refers to a vnovel method of and device for picking cotton by the use of rotative brush elements, to serve as the active factor to rapidly remove the cotton from the bur and to release it from the brush elements and preferably into the influence of a medium which is active to continuously remove the cotton away from the brush elements to a' suitable place of disposal of the cotton.

In accordance with my novel method of picking cotton, it is proposedto withdraw the cotton from the bur by applying thereto rapidly rotating picker element or elements having peripheral, outstandin pliable, resilient fibre penetrating. media o a character to permit the cotton to adhere thereto, and of a pliability which will cause them to adapt themeselves to finding their way into the cells of the bur to become enmeshed with the cotton, and of a resiliency such as will quickly straighten themselves to their initial positions to draw or pull the cotton away from thebur backwardly past or between the rotative element or elements thus characterized, and to rotate the picker element or elements at a peripheral s eed that will generate a suilicient centrifuga force to release or throw the seed 'cotton directly in a rearwardly moving current of conveying air.

The speed or conveying activity of the air is such, when air is employed'to convey the cotton, as to carry rearwardly the cotton released from the picker element or elements in such manner-"as to avoid any or substantial reengagement ofthe cotton wlth the picker 'element or elementssov as to thereby prevent clogging of the picker element or elements in a way to impede proper'plckmg and dofling functions thereof. lf the cotton laden moving column of air strikes a screen land convey the cotton rearwardly from the picker element or elements. f

The action of the high speed picker element or elements, by rapidly drawin and combing the cotton from the bur, wit the bristles penetrating the cotton and by their resiliency movable thereinwhile the cotton .is Cpassing the picker=element .or elements,

an Y

by cent-rifugally releasing` the cotton from said icker element or elements, prodces a flu y seed cotton for eiiicient se aration of boll dirt and moisture there rom, and also conditions the cotton for good ginnin The l(dofing or releasingforce of the picker element or elements is controlled by means which hold the cotton engaged therewith until a predetermined doiling zone at the rear of the picker element or elements is reached, whereby the release of the cotton in the conveying air is assured. Such dotling or releasing force thus roduced and controlled may be 'sufficient y active, in itself, to throw the cotton through space away from the picker element or elements without the use of a current of conveying air, Ain the event the area into which the cotton is thus thrown is arranged to permit the cotton to fall away therefrom.

A device or apparatus embodying my invention, and by which my novel method of picking cotton can be practiced, may emrace, in combination with a brush or brushes, a casing to enclose and furnish bearings therefor. The casing has an open mouth at which the brush or brushes are mounted in a way to draw the cotton backwardly past or between them, the head or casing being connected with means, as an exhaust fan, to produce a rearward flow of air to carry the cotton rearwardly away from the brush or brushes to a suitable place for disposal of the cotton. `The brush or brushes are operatively connected with driving power to give speed of rotation thereto to generate suicient centrifugal force to release or project the cotton rearwardly therefrom in the rearwardly moving air, and thus to dolf the cotton from the brush or brushes. One or more than two brushes can be employed, preference being had to two or more to take advantage of the grasping effect of the bight between interacting brushes.

Reference to bristles when herein s ciiically used is to vbe taken as any suitable form of bristle-like media, of eitheranimal, vegetable or other origin, which have properties of pliability to bend against a resistance, so as to be capable of wiping over hard surfaces, as that .of a cotton bur, and to find their way into the bur formation for contact with the cotton libre, a resiliency to quickly restore themselves when unrestrained, while at the same time suliciently delicate in their action on the cotton fibre to avoid breaking or otherwise damagin it, and also possessing a property to a apt themselves to the natural twist or spirality peculiar to cotton, that give spinning quality to the cotton fibre, to enmesh with the fibre in a way to give effective pull of the bristle media on the fibre to'draw the cotton away from the bur. L

Hog bristles possess these characteristics to a high degree and are recommended because they are peripherally formed to enmesh with the cotton fibre to draw them from the bur. It is known that the natural spirality or twist of the cotton fibre that gives' it spinning qualities is suchl that an entire lock tends to follow a sin le or a number of libres or strands adhere to a moving medium having the general characteristics of such bristles. Diiiiculty has been experienced, however, in releasing the cotton fibre from bristles of this character by reason of the same characteristics that give value to the picking qualities thereof.

I have discovered that the weight ofthe seed in seed cotton is a potential factor, not heretofore recognized, in thus clearing brushes that are operated at high peripheral speed to give the seed cotton thrown backwardly by the brushes the required momentum to effectively clear the cotton from the brushes. The proportionate weight of seed to the fibre or staple in average cotton is substantially two-thirds seed and one-third fibre, and the momentumy of this substantial weight of the seed in seed cotton becomes an active factor, when thrown rearwardly by centrifugal force generated by the rapidly rotating brushes, to project it suflciently far from the brushes to prevent reengagement of the cotton with the brushes.

The peripheral speed of the brushes depends somewhat on the'condition of the cotton with respect to its stage of maturity, its condition of moisture, length of staple,

and the like. A machine to be universal should be operated with a brush speed that will efficiently pick the usual and all conditions of cotton. I have found in practice that the speed of brush rotation need not vary for eective work on diiferent conditions of cotton but a few hundred rotations per minute .and that an average speed of twelve to eighteen hundred rotations per minute produces good results. This is not to be taken, however, as a limitation of the operative speed of brush rotation; the peripheral speed'of the brushes being mamtained when picking all conditions of seed- -connected to a motor back of the head, or

may be b a direct connection to an electric, air, or ot er motor.

In a picking mechanism embodying my invention, the head or casing which partly surrounds the brushes and supports the bearings therefor,v and through which`a moving column of air can be induced and properly directed will desirably be provided in rear of the mouth with inlet openings, so that a portion of the air passed through the head or casing will enter the same through said openings.l A portion of the air, however, can enter through the mouth at the front of the head or casing, especially when the brushes are, so to speak, empty or are not pulling the cotton rearwardly past or between the same. When substantially large slugs of seed cotton are passing backwardly past or between the brush or brushes, the flow of' air is, to a substantial extent, throttled at the mouth of the head or casing, andat this time air can enter the head or casing throu h all of the available inlets that will ail'or v the desired volumeand activity of the rearwardly moving air clumn.

I have shown in the drawings two forms of construction embodying my invention, and

lfor practicing my novel method, and in said drawing have shown brushes to be operated by a simple connection toa motor which, as shown, is supported on the head. Such motor, however, may be otherwise supported closely adjacent to the head, or the brushes may be rotated from other suitable source of power that will give `the required speed of rotation to the brushes.

As shown in said drawin Figure 1 is a partial sias elevation and Ertral section of a, picker mechanism emdying my invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mecha` nism; looking toward the side opposite that shown in Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 is an end view of the mechanism.,-

Figure 5 is a perspective view, showing a modification.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing a connected picker head and suction fan for giving movement tothe column of air and showing also a means for separating dirt from. the seed cotton.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates, as a whole, the head or casing ofthe picker mechanism which', as herein shown, is made of two like parts 11, 11, joined at their edges by bolts 12, 12, extending through overlapping lugs 13, 13 at said margins. The head is enlarged at its front end and is there open to provide an intake mouth 14 through which the cotton passes into the head.

15, 15 (Figures l, 2, and '4) designate two interacting picker brushes, of which there can be more than two, which are mounted in the head and are adapted to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows on Figure 2 on axes parallel to'each other. Said brushes comprise cores 16, 16 and tufts of bristles 17, 17 that are fastened in the core and extend radially therefrom. The brush cores 16 can be encased by -metal sleeves 18, 18, which, when employed, may extend a distance beyond the ends of the cores 16, to constitute overlapping shell-like enclosures for the bearings 19 of the brush core shafts 20 that are supported on opposite walls of the casing or head.

Said shafts extend at one side of the head or casing beyond the adjacent side wall and vare provided with gears 23, 23, through which power to drive the brushes is transv mitted. As herein shown said gears 23 are spiral gears, and they mesh at their proximate sides with a spiral pinion 24 that is fixed to and rotates `with the drive shaft 25 of an electric or othei` motor 26. The outer end of said shaft 25is mounted in a bearing 25 fixed to the adjacent casing or head wall. Said motor can be attached to and carried by the head or casing or can be otherwise supported. When supported on the casing or head wall, the motor can be enclosed by the same dust guard 27 (Figure 4) that also encloses the gears 23 and 24.

The body 28 of the head or casing is made short andvis connected at its rear end to a iexible or other tube 29, which is adapted to lead backwardly to an exhaust fan 30 or other suitable source for creating a backward air flow. The casing is formed to provide in rear of the brushes an unobstructed chamber in which the cotton is released and said casing terminates in rear of said chamber in a reduced part or neck for connection with the conveyor tube 29. The fan can discharge the cotton and air through the outlet 31 against a suitable cleaner, as the screen 32, shown in Fi ure 6, a receptacle 33 being suitably locate to receive the picked an clean seed cotton.V

In rear of the mouth 14 the head or casing will be Arovided with an air inlet opening, or openings, 34 of ample area to serve as inlets to furnish a desired volume of air for the rearwardly moving column of air in the head and in the tube. As herein shown, there are a number of such openings 34 which are located adjacent to" the rear sides of the brushes and in such relation to the rearmost .sides of the brushes as to always insure movement of air at the zone where the cotton is doifed from the brushes by force generated by the centrifugal action of the brushes.

In order to avoid throwing an overload on the motor, or the driving connections from a driving motor for the brushes, a slip clutch 36 may be interposed in the driving connection. I

When guards 37 are employed (Figures 1, 2, and 4), they can be made of wire of proper gauge and arranged in sets to extend from opposite walls towards, but terminate short of, each other across the front of the brushes and Within the mouth 14. They may be fastened to anchor bars4 38 fixed to the outerV sides ofthe walls which support said guards.

The high speed of the brushes serves to rapidly pick or pull the cotton away from the bur and draw it backwardly between and project it rearwardly from the brushes. This rapidity of removing the cotton from the bur, combined with the arrangement whereby the rearwardly moving conveying air is at all times maintained active gives ei'ect to the methodand apparatus to procotton is conveyed away from the head, to

be brought closely to the brushes for junction with the head. This permits v'of a larger flexibility of direction of the head to the boll when picking from the plant, thus making the work of directing the head less laborious and more rapid and accurate.

In Figure 5 is shown a form of a cotton picker in which but a single brush element 15 is employed at the mouth 14 of the casing 10. Said brush is located at one side of the center of the mouth and coacts with a lip 41 that extends forwardly from one side of the casing and beyond the mouth, where-4 bythe cotton is drawn into the head between the bristles of the brush and said lip.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, each brush opposes and coacts with the other to hold the cotton on the brushes from the position, at 'the front thereof, at which they engage the cotton at the bur, to the position at the rear thereof where the brush ripheries move away from each cother. his latter|` position establishes theI doing zone. In the construction shown in Fi ure 5 the brush is opposed by a side wall o the casing to thus control the casting off action and to establish a predetermined dofling zone. This control, in connection with the centrifugal force, is important regardlessl of the particular character of picker element employed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of picking cotton from the boll by theuse of rotative picker means having outstanding pliable, resilient bristles, which comprises the steps of inducing a rearward flow of conveying air backwardly from the picker means, rotating the picker means in contact with the cotton ball to4 withdraw the cotton therefrom, and at a peripheral speed which generates sufficient centrifugal force to doif the cotton from the picker means and controlling the doiling force to direct lthe cotton into the conveying a1r.

2. The method of picking cotton from the boll by the use of coacting, op` osed rotative brushes, which comprises t e steps of rotating the brushes to draw the cot-tonrearwardly therebetween, and at a speed to genmate sufficient centrifugal force to doff the seed cotton freely therefrom, and inducing a rearward flow of conveying air away from said brushes to receive the cotton doifed .from the brushes and at a velocity to prevent reengagement of the doffed cotton with the brushes in a manner to clog the brushes.

3l The method of picking seed cotton by rotative picker elements having outstanding coacting pliable, resilient bristles, which consists in the steps of inducing a rearward ilo'w'of air away from said elements, and rotating the picker elements at a peripheral speed to pick the cotton and to generate suflicient centrifugal force to dof the seed cotton from the picker elements into said moving column o acting bristles and the centrifugal force of the high speed picker elements act to stretch and open the cotton locks to produce a fluffy seed cotton.

4. The method of picking seed cotton by the use of rotary brush means, which comprises the steps of presenting the brush means to the cotton to'be picked, rotating said brush means to pick and draw the cotton rearwardly, and at a suiiicient periphair, and whereby the coeral speedy-to doif the seed cotton from the brush means by momentum of the seedcotton derived from the action of centrifugal generate sulicient centrifugal force to d of the cotton from the brush means, and controlling the release of the cotton from the brush means to establish Aa predetermined dofling zone of the cotton from thebrush means.

6. .A cotton picker for seed cotton com-l prising a casing having a cotton receiving mouth, rotating brush means thereat comprising outstan ing, pviable, resilient bristles, means to induce a rearward flow of'air backwardly from said brush means, and means to rotate the brush means at a' ripheral speed to generate sufficient centri gal force to doi' the cotton from the bristles, together with means arranged toassist the picking and to control said doliing force to release the cotton in the rearwardly moving air.

7. A cotton picker for seed cotton comprising a casing having an intake mouth, opposed, coactingl picker brushes thereat, means to induce a rearwardly flowing colvumn of air backwardly from said brushes,

and means to rotate the said brushes towards each other at their forward sides and at a peripheral speed to generate sufiicient centrifugal force to cause the cotton to be thrown l'from the brushes directly in the rearwardly movin column of air.

8. A cotton pic er for 4seed cotton comprising opposing, coacting oppositely rotative picker brus es to draw t e cotton rearwardly between them, and means to rotate said brushes towards each other at their forward sides and at a speedto generate suicient centrifugal force to doff the cotton therefrom.

9. A cotton picker f or seed cotton comprising a casing having a cotton receiving mouth, opposed, coacting rotative brushes thereat, said casing having an unobstructed chamber in the rear of the brushes, and adapted for connection in rear of said chamber with a conveyor tube, means to induce a rearward flow of air away from said brushes through said tube, and means to rotate said brushes towards each other at their forward sides and at a peripheral speed to generate centrifugal force to release the cotton from said brushes in said rearwardly flowing air.

10. A cotton picker for seed cotton comprising a casing having a cotton receiving mouth, rotating brush means thereat. comprising outstanding, pliable, resilient bristles, means to induce a flow of conveying air through the casing and backwardly from the brush means, and means to rotate the brush means at a peripheral speed to generate sufficient centrifugal force to doti' the seed cotton from the bristles, together. with means arranged to assist the picking and to control said doiing force to release the cotton in the rearwardly moving air, said casing being provided at the zone of separation of the cotton from the brush means with air inlet or inlets.

l1. A cotton picker for seed cotton comprising a casing and cooperative rotative picker brush means to draw the cotton rearwardly past the same, means to rotate said brush means at a speed to generate sufficient centrifugal force to doff the cotton therefrom, and means to control the release of the cotton from the brush means to establish a predetermined dotling zone at the rear of said brush means.

12. A cotton picker for seed cotton comprising a casing and cooperative rotative picker brush means to draw the cotton rearwardly, means to rotate the brush means at a peripheral speed to generate sufficient centrifugal force to release the cotton therefrom, means to induce a rearward flow of conveying air from the brush means, and means to control said releasing force to release the cotton from the brush means -to direct it in said conveying air.

13. A cotton picker for seed cotton having y a manually directed head-comprising a casing and cooperative, opposing, coacting 0ppositely rotative picker brushes, and means to rotate said brushes toward each other at their forward sides to draw the cotton rearwardly between them, and at a speed to gen. crate sufficient centrifugal force to freely release the cotton therefrom.

14. A cotton picker for seed cotton having a manually directed head comprising a casing and cooperative, opposing, coactlng oppositely rotative picker brushes, means to rotate said brushes toward each other at their forward sides to draw the cotton rearwardly between them, and at a speed to gencrate sufiicient centrifugal force to freely release the cotton therefrom, said casing being provided in rear of said brushes with means to admit air thereto, and means to induce a current of conveying air rearwardly from said brushes to receive and convey rearwardly the released cotton, and at a velocity to avoid reengagement of the released cotton with the brushe's In witness whereof I claim the foregoingas my invention, I hereunto append my signature this twenty-first day of December, 1920. f=

FREDERICK w. sTUKENBoRG. 

